No. 3 seed Marat Safin lost his opening match. (Dick Swaim photo) | ZOOM |

        MASON — In one round, Tennis Masters Series Cincinnati has lost its defending champion and two of its top three seeds. Welcome to a week as unpredictable as it is hot.

        Six of the 16 seeded players were upset in the first round. The biggest name to fall Tuesday was No. 3 seed Marat Safin, beaten 6-3, 6-3 by Guillermo Canas. Safin, last year's U.S. Open champ, has been in a season-long slump and has lost five of his last six matches.

        “It's just not coming,” Safin said of his game. “The problem is to try to find the confidence.”

        Defending champ Thomas Enqvist, the 11th seed, suffered a first-round loss for the second consecutive week to the same player: Nicolas Kiefer. Enqvist is 1-3 against Kiefer this year.

        “Obviously his game doesn't suit my game good,” Enqvist said.

TODAY'S GUIDE

• Schedule, results   • Tickets: 11 a.m., 7 p.m. ($22). Call 651-0303 or TicketMaster at 562-4949.   • Television: 1-3 p.m., ESPN (live); 8-10 p.m., ESPN2 (live)   • The bracket   • More Masters facts

        Two of the tournament's biggest names, Pete Sampras and Patrick Rafter, advanced easily Tuesday.

        A doubles match drew one of the biggest crowds, as Boris Becker — ending a two- year retirement — partnered with Goran Ivanisevic. They fell to Todd Woodbridge and Jonas Bjorkman, the world's No. 1 doubles team, 6-3, 6-2.

        Five Americans are alive in today's second-round singles matches: Sampras, Michael Chang, Todd Martin, Jan-Michael Gambill and James Blake.

        Chang, a fan favorite and two-time winner of this event, has a chance to get past the second round for the first time this year. He'll meet Canas at 7 p.m. on Grandstand Court.

        Sampras, seeded ninth, will play Alberto Martin at 8 p.m. on Stadium Court. Martin will play Kiefer at 11 a.m. on Stadium Court. Gambill will play Jiri Novak at approximately 1 p.m. on Grandstand Court. Blake will play 10th seed Arnaud Clement on the Grandstand after Gambill's match.

Sports Stories

Tennis Masters loses Safin, Enqvist Tennis Masters schedule, results Becker draws overflow crowd Sampras looks frisky in romp Tennis losing grip on Rafter Ousted Safin: 'I'm just bad' Spain's Ferrero rising star England's eyes focused on Henman Heat is tournament's hot topic Tennis Masters Notebook Tennis Masters facts 40,000-plus expected for IRL race

Giants 9, Reds 3
Bonds' 48th HR sets Cinergy mark
SULLIVAN: Still no conclusion to Rose saga
Chronology of Rose case
Season over for Larkin, Harnisch
Larkin: SS is only spot open for me
Rijo focusing on relief
Reds to honor Davis
Reds box, runs
Smith must pass passing test
LeBeau uses bench to emphasize point
Doughty AWOL from camp
Wyoming star Hall now a Bearcat
Las Vegas tourneys shift to high school